Dragon fruit is a member of a cactus
family that grows in tropical and subtropical countries like Asia and Latin
America. It has a yellow or red skin with green scales which resembles a
dragon where it was named. It is also known as Pitaya in other countries. There
are different varieties available depending on the color of the flesh – magenta,
white, and yellow.
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| Dragon Fruit or Pitaya |
In the other blog, I shared how my dragon
fruit developed from flower and bears fruit until harvested and served on the table. I was excited since it
is the first time for my dragon fruit to bear its fruit after two years.
Dragon fruit or Pitaya is considered as super because it has lots of health benefits. Here are some:
Weight-Loss
It helps give the feeling of being
satiated after eating dragon fruit. Also, because this fruit is high in fiber
and low in calories, it will give the feeling of being full for longer time.
Dragon fruit also helps boost metabolism rate which aids in good weight-loss
management.
Blood and
heart disease.
Dragon fruit was found to contain mono-saturated
fats that help in decreasing bad cholesterol resulting to a healthy heart
condition.
It also helps to reduce the level of
oxidative stress, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.
Digestion
and Blood Sugar
With rich fiber content, dragon fruit is
best in cleaning of the digestive system and will give a regular and better bowel
movement.
Furthermore, fiber is known to help in
stabilizing blood sugar levels and avoid sugar spikes often observed after
eating high glycemic index foods.
Skin
Dragon fruit is high in anti-oxidants
which help in reducing the amount of free radicals in the body thus slowing
down the aging process of our skin. Combining dragon fruit with yogurt is a
good facial mask.
Aside from anti-aging property, it can be
also used to treat acne because it is high in vitamin C. Applying a paste out
of dragon fruit then washing it with lukewarm water can give a best result
against acne.
Dragon fruit is also high in vitamin B3
which aids in soothing and moisturizing sunburned skin. All it takes is
to add honey and apply to the affected area then wash it with lukewarm water
followed by cold one. Applying juice to the affected area before going out can
protect the skin against UV rays.
Hair
Chemicals
used in coloring hair can do damage on it. Applying dragon fruit juice on the scalp
can help protect chemically treated hair. It allows the hair follicles open and
keep the hair to breathe and maintain its healthy and smooth condition.
Fights
Cancer
As mentioned above, dragon fruit is
jam-packed with antioxidants that fight cancer-causing free radicals.
Prevents
Arthritis and asthma
With dragon fruit’s anti-inflammatory
properties, it helps reduce irritation of joints that leads to the development of
arthritis.
With the high vitamin C content, dragon
fruit can boost the immune system and prevents from respiratory tract disease
including asthma.
High in
Vitamins and Minerals
Aside from vitamins C and B3
mentioned before, dragon fruit also contains high amounts of B1, and
B2. Essential minerals like iron, calcium and phosphorus can also
found in dragon fruit.
Here is the nutritional content of dragon
fruit (per 100 grams)
Total fat – 0.61g
Protein – 0.229g
Ash – 0.68g
Water – 83.0g
Potassium – 0.436g
Calcium – 8.8g
Dietary Fiber 0.9g
Calories – 99.0
Do you like eating Pitaya or Dragon Fruit?
Helpful Sources: Style
Craze, Skinny
with Fiber, Lifehack